


Dream Sequences

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-10
Updated: 2005-03-10
Packaged: 2019-05-31 03:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15110951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: He was afraid to move...afraid of falling through space and landing in another time.





	Dream Sequences

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Dream Sequences**

**by: Montiese**

**Character(s):** Leo, CJ, the President  
 **Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
 **Category(s):** Drama/General  
 **Rating:** YTEEN  
 **Summary:** He was afraid to move…afraid of falling through space and landing in another time.  
 **Spoiler:** If you have not seen any of Season 6, do not read this.  


Leo’s eyes opened and he stared at the young girl with her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you OK daddy?"

She looked to be maybe fifteen, a sandy blonde version of her mother.

"Charlie?" he whispered, attempting to sit up.

"Don’t. Mom said you should rest."

"Where is mom?"

"I don’t know; she’ll be back soon. I am going to get your breakfast."

"Charlie…don’t go."

She was gone already, and Leo was no longer in bed. He was in his office and CJ walked in. The clock on his desk said 10:00; he was off duty.

"Hey baby." He said with a smile. She was a welcome sight. Leo felt as if he had not seen her in ages.

CJ looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Leo, I am going to let that slide because I know what kind of day you’ve had." She replied.

"I’m sorry?"

"I am a married woman." CJ said. She sat in his visitor’s chair and crossed her legs.

Damn, she looked good.

"I know that." Leo said.

"Only my husband calls me baby and you know his temper."

Leo looked at CJ’s face. Then he looked down at her fingers. She was not wearing his ring. This one was diamonds and sapphires with a simple gold wedding band. He rubbed his eyes.

"OK, I think it has been a long day…remind me who your husband is."

CJ fell into a fit of laughter. That was his laughter; she was his wife.

"Toby, we've only been married for three years. Leo, are you alright? I think…you look ill."

"What?" Leo asked.

"I said do you want a glass of scotch? I know it’s been a long day."

Leo shook his head. What the hell was going on? He was sitting in the den of his old house. CNN played on low volume and his first wife, Jenny, stood in front of him. Oh God, CJ was married to Toby.

"What? Jenny, you know I can't drink."

Jenny looked at him wearing a smile.

"What are you talking about honey? You had your scotch last night. What’s the matter?"

"I am an alcoholic." Leo said.

"OK, now you are freaking me out." Jenny said. "We have been married for over 30 years…I think I would know something like that about you."

Leo stood up from the chair.

"I need air. I’m going out on the deck for a smoke."

"Leo, its subzero." Jenny reasoned.

"I don’t care."

He walked over and opened the door, stepping into the Oval Office.

"Are you going to have a drink today?" Jed Bartlet asked.

Wait, Leo thought, this conversation sounded familiar. For the first time Leo felt as if the world was not spinning too fast.

"No sir." He replied from memory.

"Are you going to have a drink tomorrow?"

"No sir."

"That’s all you ever have to say to me."

Leo ran his fingers through his hair.

"I need to see CJ." He muttered.

"The press conference?" the President asked.

"Um…yeah. Is she in her office?"

"Yeah."

The President stopped him as he went to the door.

"Leo, we are going to get through this."

"Yeah. Thank you Mr. President."

Leo walked past Charlie and out into the hall. The bullpens looked different today…Leo hardly recognized any of the people bustling around. He walked past Carol’s empty desk and stuck his head in CJ’s partially opened door. He had to see her.

"CJ?"

A strange man looked at him.

"I’m sorry Mr. Secretary?"

He stood up from his desk.

"John?"

John Palmer was Press Secretary when he was Secretary of Labor. Leo’s head was pounding and for some reason his chest hurt.

"Is there something I can do for you Mr. Secretary?" John asked.

"No." Leo shook his head vigorously. He backed out of the room and began to run down the hall.

He tripped, falling through blackness.

"CJ!"

Leo awoke from sleep, drenched in sweat. He looked around the dark room in terror. There was a hand on his shoulder but he had no idea who it belonged to.

"Leo, honey? Leo, look at me."

He reached to turn on the lights and CJ blinked her eyes.

"You had a nightmare Leo. Are you alright?"

Leo collapsed in her arms, wrapping his arms tight around her.

"My head hurts so bad baby, and my chest. I had all these awful nightmares and I couldn’t find you."

"I’m here Leo." CJ smoothed back his hair. "Just close your eyes and go back to sleep."

"I can't. What if I wake up and you are gone again? My chest really hurts."

"You're dying Leo, and I don’t know how to save you." She said.

"What?"

"I’m losing you. I am scared to death…we all are."

"CJ, I’m right here and I’m not leaving you. CJ? CJ!"

The room went black and it stayed that way. Leo felt around but could not feel a wall, a table, nothing. He was frightened to move, frightened of falling through space and landing in another time. Another time without CJ. Dammit, he wished he could wake from this dreadful nightmare.

"Leo? Leo, are you in here?"

"Josh? I can’t move…" his voice cracked. There was no way he would let Josh know how scared he was. He clutched his chest, fighting back the searing pain.

A white light began to build slowly, like headlights in oncoming traffic. It was soft, warm, and beautiful. Josh came into the room from a doorway. Who knew where the doorway led to or from?

"We gotta go back Leo; its time."

"Where am I?" Leo asked.

"I am not exactly sure. I’ve been here before though."

"When?"

"After the shooting." Josh said. "Joanie was here with me."

‘You almost died. What’s wrong with me?"

"You had a heart attack Leo. It was pretty bad…the doctors performed a double bypass."

"Oh dear God. CJ?"

"She is waiting for you. Come on."

"I am not sure if I can move." Leo said.

"Just take my hand. You're not supposed to be here…they sent me to get you."

Leo stood frozen in his spot. He looked at Josh, his face so peaceful and serene.

"I need to get back to CJ." Leo said more to himself than to Josh.

"I am going to take you. Trust me Leo, you helped me when I needed it and now I am going to help you. Grab hold of my hand."

Leo grabbed Josh and held on tight. Please God, he prayed, if you exist take me back to my wife.

"Claudia Jean?" his voice came out in a ragged whisper. "CJ?"

He turned his head; his body felt as if he had been repeatedly kicked. CJ was standing by the window with her back to him.

"CJ, baby?"

She turned and looked at him. Her face was flushed, her eyes puffy.

"Leo?" her voice was as raspy as his.

She fell into the chair beside the bed and took his hand in hers. She was warm and that was such a comfort.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You had a heart attack at Camp David. They had to give you double bypass surgery."

"Josh was right." Leo whispered.

"What?"

"I love you CJ…I thought I lost you."

"Shh, don’t talk. I was the frightened one; we just didn’t know."

She was crying again and she could not hide it or stop. Seeing her that way made Leo feel so powerless. He should have been able to hold her.

"Don’t cry baby." He said.

CJ absently wiped her eyes.

"Don’t talk anymore Leo, please. You need your strength. I have to get the doctor and the President. He…"

Leo grasped her hand as tight as he could. Their toddler probably gripped tighter.

"No, don't leave me. CJ, please."

She looked at him and a solitary tear fell from his eye. CJ was crying again.

"Don’t go baby." He whispered.

She reached above him and buzzed the nurse’s station.

"I am not going anywhere Leo, I promise. Relax, and stop talking. Rest honey, the doctor will come to us."

Leo nodded. His eyelids felt so heavy; he did not know how much longer he could keep his eyes open. CJ rubbed his hand told him it was OK to close his eyes. Don’t leave me; he was not sure if he said that aloud. The nurse walked into the room.

"Is everything alright Mrs. McGarry?"

"He woke up; I think he’s asleep again."

"I’ll get the doctor ma’am."

"And the President of the United States." CJ said.

The nurse nodded, leaving the room. CJ leaned her head on Leo’s hand as he fell back into unconsciousness. He certainly was far from out of the woods but he opened his eyes. That was a start because the doctors were not sure if he would even do that. He opened his eyes and told her that he loved her.

"I love you too Leo." She said. "Please just stay with me…I need you."

"CJ?"

She looked up at the President of the United States and tried to hide the contempt in her eyes. Who knew how good of a job she did? You did this to him, her mind screamed.

"He woke up but he’s unconscious again. The doctor should be here soon."

"Shall I stay?" Jed Bartlet asked.

"Mr. President forgive me but I could care less."

The President nodded solemnly as the doctor walked into the room.

"He was awake." CJ said.

The doctor nodded. He took Leo’s pulse and blood pressure. Then he checked those beeping machines that drove CJ crazy for the past 20 hours or so.

"That’s good." Dr. Reynolds said.

"What’s so good about it?" CJ asked. "You talk to me and you talk English."

"It was good that he was awake Mrs. McGarry. We’ll keep a close watch on him for the next 24 hours and go from there. Once he comes out of it completely I will have a better prognosis. Did he talk or just open his eyes?"

"He told me that he loved me, and not to cry." CJ said.

She cried anyway. The doctor wrote some things in Leo’s chart.

"I will be back in two hours." He left the room.

They were alone now, CJ, the President and her very sick husband.

"CJ…"

"If he wakes up again I will tell you sir. I just want to be alone with him now."

"Alright. Everyone will be glad to know that he opened his eyes. Sam, Toby, and Josh are outside and they want to look in on him."

CJ nodded, focusing again on Leo’s peaceful face.

"I’ll be out in fifteen minutes or so." She said.

The President nodded and left the room. She was not leaving until he was back with her again. It didn’t matter to her how long she had to sit there. CJ ran her fingers across Leo’s cheek, kissed his lips softly, and started praying again.


End file.
